monte
n. uncountablen. a gambling game played with cards, often involving three cards where you try to find the queen. It is usually played on the street by people trying to trick you out of your money.
n. a gambling card game of Spanish origin, typically involving three cards, in which players bet on the location of a specific card. Often associated with confidence tricks and street gambling.
He lost twenty dollars playing monte on the sidewalk.
The tourist was warned to avoid the street performers playing three-card monte near the station.
While historically a legitimate gambling house game in the American West, monte is now most commonly encountered as a deceptive street hustle designed to fleece unsuspecting passersby.
Often appears in the compound phrase 'three-card monte'.